Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Philip Wong
Committee Chair and Members
Philip Wong, Chair
Sara Haden
Matthew Morrison
Keywords
Emotion regulation, Failure, Mindfulness, Perfectionism, Psychology, Self-esteem
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the use of emotion regulation strategies among adaptive and maladaptive perfectionists and determine if there are differences. It proposed a model that maladaptive perfectionists experience heightened negative affect in response to their perceived deficiencies, and that both self-esteem and mindfulness contribute to emotion regulation strategy choice. A sample of 336 participants, ages 18 and older, completed online self-report measures related to perfectionism, self-esteem, mindfulness, current affect, and emotion regulation strategy choice, along with a manipulated failure task. Results showed that after a perceived failure, maladaptive perfectionists had lower odds of choosing adaptive emotion regulation strategies than adaptive perfectionists did, and were more likely to use maladaptive strategies; and, conversely, adaptive perfectionists had lower odds of choosing maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, and were more likely to use adaptive ones. However, neither self-esteem, or mindfulness, contributed to this proposed model. This study demonstrates that after being confronted with failure, maladaptive perfectionists engage in emotion regulation strategies that are considered maladaptive as opposed to adaptive perfectionists, adding to the literature that supports a multidimensional view of perfectionism, and that some dimensions can be considered maladaptive.
Recommended Citation
Friedman, Gregory Neil, "Maladaptive perfectionism and regulation of negative affect after failure: The influences of self-esteem and mindfulness" (2024). Selected Full-Text Dissertations 2020-. 42.
https://digitalcommons.liu.edu/brooklyn_fulltext_dis/42